The first Masters tournament of the season begins: Will Alcaraz reclaim lost ground or will a new champion emerge?

Even with the ongoing hostilities in the Middle East causing some players to remain stuck there, it won't affect the scheduled start of Indian Wells, the season's inaugural Masters tournament, this week. The draw has been announced recently, so here is an overview of the men's singles field.

Two-time champion Alcaraz, who has started the season with a 12-match winning streak, will compete as the top seed. Other seeded players in his top half include Fritz, Bublik, Norrie, Ruud, Lehečka, Humbert, and Moutet.

It is worth noting that Djokovic, the most successful male player in the tournament's history, is also participating. He was spotted earlier watching an NBA game, arriving earlier than usual this year. This is one of the events he has consistently attended even while streamlining his schedule in recent seasons.

Last year's Shanghai Masters champion and runner-up, Vacherot and Linderknech, are also placed in the top half. Along with last week's tournament winners Medvedev and Darderi in the same section, this half arguably boasts more star power than the bottom half. There aren't many standout first-round matches, but the winner between Munar and Agut will face defending champion Draper for a spot in the third round.

Draper, building on his semifinal run at the US Open two seasons ago, eliminated two-time champion Alcaraz and eventually claimed his first major title, briefly rising to world No. 4. However, he has struggled with injuries over the past year and, aside from a runner-up finish in Madrid, has rarely delivered notable results elsewhere. It remains to be seen how far he can go in his title defense this time.

The bottom half is led by the two Italians, Sinner and Musetti. The latter hasn't played since losing to Djokovic in the Australian Open quarterfinals, so his current form is uncertain.

Other seeded players in this section include Fils, Rublev, Auger-Aliassime, Cobolli, Tiafoe, Brandon Nakashima, Zverev, Shelton, Lestienne, Fokina, Mensik, Khachanov, Paul, and Etcheverry. Among them, Sinner's semifinal appearance is the best result any player in this half has achieved at this tournament.

Among the notable first-round matchups, Brooksby will face Popyrin for a second-round berth, while the net duel between the stylish Berrettini and the crafty veteran Mannarino is full of suspense. The all-one-handed-backhand clash between Tsitsipas and Shapovalov is also highly anticipated.

Like the Grand Slams, the Indian Wells Masters also features a 128-player draw with 32 seeds, though all seeded players receive a first-round bye. At this sensitive time when global attention is focused on the conflict in the Middle East, who will seize the early advantage? And at a venue known for producing new Masters champions, who will emerge as the new king?(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Luo Cheng Qi Ye)